Powder feed mechanism for molding presses



A. WORSWICK 2,692,068 POWDER FEED MECHANISM FOR MOLDING PRESSES Filed April 21, 1952 7 Oct. 19, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 modulator v, fl. ZJ[0I-.5wzla/r Oct. 19, 1954 wo sw c 2,692,068

POWDER FEED MECHANISM FOR MOLDING PRESSES Filed April 21, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 19, 1954 wo sw 2,692,068

POWDER FEED MECHAYISM FOR MOLDING PRESSES Filed April 21, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I! 61; Q il k I v z 2 d a v a \M J H I fl; x

\ y l vantolo Patented Oct. 19, 1954 POWDER FEED MECHANISM FOR MOLDING DRESSES Alan Worswick, Blackburn, England, assignor to Foster, Yates & Th England, a British co m Limited, Blackburn, mpany Application April 21, 1952, Serial No. 283,506

Claims priority, application Great Britain May 3, 1951 1 Claim. 1

This invention has for its object to provide an improved powder feed mechanism for moulding presses.

My invention comprises a drum adapted to be oscillated back and forth about its axis within a casing having powder feed and delivery branches thereon, the drum having therein a series of compartments disposed side by side and adapted as the drum is oscillated to be brought into line with the said feed and delivery branches, the bottom of each compartment consisting of a piston like element adjustable along the compartment in order to regulate the volume or holding capacity of the compartment according to the quantity of powder to be delivered by the compartment at each cycle of operations of the roller.

The invention further comprises the provision of a gap in the casing surrounding the roller, and of slots or grooves extending along the roller surface at positions which ensure that at least one groove comes into said gap at the end of each forward and of each backward movement of the roller, so that any powder which may get between the roller and casing will be caught in said slots or grooves and swept around within the casing until it is discharged in said gap.

The invention further comprises the provision of a spring loaded adjusting screw extending into each piston from the roller for moving each piston to adjust the volume of its compartment, with means for preventing the piston from turning whilst the screw is being threaded therein. The said adjusting screw may be operated from outside the casing.

Referring to the accompanying explanatory drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view and Figure 2 a side view of a feed device for powder moulding presses constructed in one convenient form in accordance with this invention.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view drawn to an enlarged scale through the feed roller and associated parts shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The machine comprises a hopper a which delivers its contents through valves b to a series of compartments 0 disposed side by side in a roller 11 which is oscillated back and forth in a casing e by a reciprocatory hydraulic ram of ordinary construction located at f. The compartments 0 extend side by side diametrically across the roller d and each has a piston g which forms the base of the compartments and which is adjustable, to vary the volume of the compartment, by means of a screw it threading into the piston. The latter is prevented from turning by the pin i which threads into the roller and has its end in a keyway 7' in the piston. A spring is which presses against the head m of the screw it acts to prevent turning of the screw it and movement of the piston g during ordinary service. A shoulder beneath the threaded part of the screw it bears upon a disc n let into a recess, in the bottom of the compartment. A hole 0 is provided through the casing e to give access to the head m of the screw it so that the latter can be turned by a suitable key to adjust the capacity of the compartment c.

The delivery of powder from each compartment 0 is to a delivery branch 10 and by a pipe q to a receptacle 1 which may be the mould in which the powder is compressed and heated to consolidate it into desired forms. There is a series of pipes q and of receptacles 1' associated with the several compartments 0 in the one roller d.

Two slots 8 and t are provided along the surface of the roller d and the casing e is cut away or left with a gap therein at u. As shown, the slot 8 is open to the gap it. When the roller is turned to bring its compartments into line with the delivery branches p, the slot 25 comes into the gap u so that any powder which may happen to get between the roller and casing will be picked up in the slot t and passed into the gap u from which it will escape through the gap :1: between the cover 11 and casing e. When the compartments 0 are delivering their contents to the delivery branches p, the slot s will come beneath the part of the casing e to the right of the inlet branches w, so that when the roller is returned to the position shown in Figure 3, any powder between such portion of the casing and the roller will be picked up by the slot s and transferred to the gap u. This arrangement prevents powder accumulating between the roller and casing and interfering with free movements of the roller.

With my improvement, the amount of powder delivered to the moulds r can be readily adjusted and if some moulds are not required, the appropriate valve or valves b can be closed to stop feed thereto.

What I claim is:

A powder feed mechanism for moulding presses comprising, in combination, a roller, a casing enclosing said roller, a series of powder feed and delivery branches through said casing, a similar series of pockets disposed side by side in said roller, means oscillating said roller in said casing to bring said pockets into line alternately with said feed and delivery branches in the casing, a

piston forming the bottom of each pocket, screw means in the roller for adjusting the position of each piston in its pocket in order to vary the effective volume of the pocket, a gap in the casing giving access to each adjusting screw, means for preventing each piston from turning, spring loading means for each adjusting screw to prevent inadvertent turning thereof, a valve for controlling the flow of material to each inlet branch, a circumferential gap in the casing around the rotor, a cover for said gap, and slots extending transversely across the peripheral surface of the rotor and positioned to ensure that at least one slot comes into said circumferential gap at the end of each forward and of each backward oscillating movement of the rotor.

References Cited in the. file of, this patent UNITED STATE-S PATENTS Number Name Date 221,104 Rykard Oct. 28, 1879 963,342 Warters July 5, 1910 1,294,299 Meyers Feb. 11, 1919 1,784,255, Slaten Dec. 9, 1930 

